AFTER SEVERAL years of preparation, St Joseph Pignatelli Parish in Attadale is almost ready to begin construction of its new church.
The original parish church, built in 1955, was only meant to be temporary, but the parish never had the funds to build a permanent church.
But thanks to a generous bene-factor, the parish has now raised more than half the funds required, and hopes to commence construction work in March or April next year, pending Archdiocesan approval.
Detailed drawings of the new church are on display in the parish foyer, and reveal a design that features a prominent baptismal font and a unique central cross.
“At the centre of the cross will be the symbol of the Jesuits, because they were the first founders of the parish,” parish priest Fr Sean Fernandez told The Record.
The new building will also have stained-glass windows, several statues and, if funds permit, a columbarium and a bell tower that will ring for the Angelus.
“One of the key things we put to the architects was to design a space which, from the beginning, is a sacred space, a place for the sacred liturgy, for prayer,” Fr Sean said.
“The tabernacle will be under the cross and lit up, so it will be a good focal point for prayer and devotion.”
Parishioners have been following recent developments in the parish bulletin, but Fr Sean said the initial stages of the project began about five years ago.
“A parishioner, who is still alive, gave the parish a large amount of money, with a certain amount of money to come, but only to be used for a new church,” he explained.
“I think he wanted it for that purpose because… he wanted us to think about the future.”
Shortly after, a parish meeting was held where parishioners were informed of the donation and discussed the advantages and disadvantages of building a new church.
“The consensus was that we should do something with [the money], so that started a long process of talking and trying to work out about funds,” Fr Sean said.
The parish priest since 2006 said his parishioners have rallied strongly behind the project.
“I admire them,” he said.
“We have had some extraordinarily generous donations in the last two months. Obviously, people here believe this is something we can do.”
While the project is both exciting and challenging, Fr Sean said it would not be easy for parishioners to leave their “homely” church building.
“There’s no project where you’ll get everyone supporting it, and for some there’s a real attachment to this place, which you can understand,” he said.
“But, overall, there’s very strong support for moving into the future and doing something for future generations.”
Fr Sean said he hoped the new church would revitalise the parish community and be a visible witness to the wider population.
“For every parish which has done the whole thing of shifting… the new church has brought about a real invigoration,” he said.
“There’s also an evangelisation aspect to our work, we want to reach out and draw people into the church.”
The new church building will be located on Wichmann Road, almost directly behind the current building.
It will occupy the land where several tennis courts that the parish has used for many years are situated.
While the original church building remains in good condition, its future is still under discussion.
Meanwhile, in Kelmscott, preparations for the consecration of the new Good Shepherd parish church are under way, with the ceremony to take place on September 8.